Boulder County Sheriff's Division Chief retires after 35 years

Phil West mentored hundreds of young cadets during tenure

By Pierrette J. Shields Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
06/25/2013 07:41:48 PM MDT

Updated:
06/26/2013 09:37:15 AM MDT

BOULDER -- Boulder County Sheriff's Division Chief Phil West was prepared for tears.

After a career spanning 35 years with the sheriff's office, West retired at a reception in Boulder on Tuesday afternoon. The famously even-keeled chief, knew that emotion might break his demeanor. Still, he did not want anyone to see him cry, so he carefully position a brown paper bag over his head with a face drawn on and peep holes cut out.

But West kept his cool though words that revered his career and through jokes and funny memories shared at his expense.

"He is part of the history of this place," said Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. "I started as a cadet in 1978 and he was on my oral boards."

Boulder County Sheriff's Division Chief Phil West places a paper bag over his head, which he brought to hide his face in case he got emotional, he said, at retirement reception at the "Spice of Life" events center in Boulder on Tuesday.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

West was one of the original members of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office Cadet Program, which was formed in 1973. He completed the program and after he graduated from college he was hired as a deputy in 1978 and embarked on 28 years leading the program.

Pelle estimated that West taught and mentored 1,000 cadets in that time and about 100 of them went on to law enforcement careers. Those cadets were well served, Pelle said.

"He is one of the most ethical and selfless people I have ever known in my life," he said.

Boulder County Sgt. Vinnie Montez did let emotion take over over West's retirement. He said he crashed West's car when he was just starting out and West handled it, well, with his typical stoicism.

Advertisement

"Phil West is the foundation," he said. "He is the mortar and the concrete."

West steadily climbed the ranks of the sheriff's office and was promoted to operations division chief in 2009. As a commander, he was the public information officer for the office and became a well-known spokesman for law enforcement in Boulder County.

West recalled that about six months after he started with the sheriff's office, the sheriff at the time saw him refueling his patrol car.

"'He said, 'West, I have heard good things about you. Keep it up,'" West told family, friends and co-workers gathered. "I didn't even think he knew my name."

The moment was important to him and shaped his approach in leadership, he said. He said he always tried to acknowledge others' work and efforts to encourage them.

Former Division Chief Denny Hopper said West was known for caring for his people and he envisioned West once when he saw a mother duck with several ducklings on her back and several in tow.

Boulder prosecutor Ryan Brackley said West was the face of law enforcement for the Boulder District Attorney's Office and he heard again and again about West's accomplishments and character.

"These are truly probably impossible shoes to fill," Brackley said.

West is married to Patti West, who leads emergency communications for Longmont Public Safety, and he has two daughters who he calls his "greatest achievements." He plans to stay on at the sheriff's office as a volunteer historian and archivist.

During the reception, Tom Sloan was promoted to division chief to replace West. Other promotions included Steve Cullen to commander, and Clay Leak and Randy Wilber to sergeant. Pelle noted that the office also swore in five new deputies earlier in the day.

Boulder County Sheriff's Division Chief Phil West is congratulated by former Division Chief Jim Smith at West's retirement reception at the "Spice of Life" events center in Boulder on Tuesday.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

Local duo joining overseas exhibition excursionFilippo Swartz went to Italy, where his mother was born and he spent the first year or so of his life, every summer until he had to stick around to be a part of summer football activities for the Longmont High School team. Full Story

MacIntyre says the completed project will be best in Pac-12There were bulldozers, hard hats, mud, concrete trucks, blueprints, mud, cranes, lots of noise and, uh, mud, during the last recruiting cycle when Colorado football coach Mike MacIntyre brought recruits to campus. Full Story

Most people don't play guitar like Grayson Erhard does. That's because most people can't play guitar like he does. The guitarist for Fort Collins' Aspen Hourglass often uses a difficult two-hands-on-the-fretboard technique that Eddie Van Halen first popularized but which players such as Erhard have developed beyond pop-rock vulgarity.
Full Story